SUMMER STORIES: Miroslav Satan

(YARMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA) For many, the summer months are filled with vacation and relaxation. For Miroslav Satan, this summer was not filled with any such break from work. Satan would usualy work out four or five days a week.

"I'm working out almost all summer," said Satan. "In July I would do long bike rides and some lifts. In August, it gets more intense as the season gets closer."

The training though, wasn't all that Satan had to worry about. Satan's wife, Ingrid, gave birth to baby Miroslav in March, and that made having any down time next to impossible. Satan had trouble even thinking of anything else he did other than train and take care of his baby boy.

"I spent most of the summer training and taking care of our baby," said Satan. "I didn't have time to do much else at all. It's a full-time job taking care of a baby. I did a little golf and that was about it."

The Slovakian native spent the summer in his home in Bratislava, Slovakia and didn't travel too far from home going as far as Poprad, Slovakia -- about four hours by train.

Satan didn't have time to go see any movies, but he was able to catch some FIFA World Cup action. Since his native Slovakia wasn't in the tournament, Satan chose to route for Brazil, but had to switch allegiance to Portugal once Brazil was ousted.

When asked about one of the biggest stories of the summer, the removal of Pluto's designation as a planet he replied, "It got a raw deal."

Now that he's back in the swing of things with the start of training camp, Satan will once again have little down time to catch up on summer activities he missed.

"I guess I'll have to ask the other guys on the team about what I missed over the summer," said Satan. "It's back to hockey being a full-time job."